Compromise
by PandaCookie
Summary: Sometimes, when two people are so completely different, a certain attraction is formed. And all their hopes and dreams suddenly depend on reaching a compromise with each other. Taang Drabble Series.
1. Don't Think

I never thought I would do a drabble series. Ever. But I have six or seven Taang drabbles gathering virtual dust, and they aren't half bad, in my opinion. So here I am, hoping that I can handle the commitment and keep on writing. Because I can't seem to do that for that one story...the Teen Titans one...yeah...So I'm going to love this and nurture it like my own child.

Hopefully.

This first one was written quite a while back. Inspired by...Bubbly, by Colbie Caillat.

Disclaimer: Why no, I don't own Avatar!

* * *

_"In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost...people we loved...Time is an illusion, and so is death."_

Aang bit his lip as those words echoed through his head for the millionth time.

"Hurry up, Twinkletoes!"

He looked up at the girl who was climbing the long white staircase of the Southern air temple above him. He had to admit, he was lagging behind.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

He dashed up towards her, but suddenly she was running too.

"Too late! You'll never catch me!"

She let out a gleeful laugh as they charged up the stairs; hardly caring about how dangerous it was to be running up these crumbling old steps, with miles to fall below them. After all, they could sense the places where the stone was especially weak.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she didn't stop. She turned and dashed off in a random direction. Aang followed her, catching sight of her heels whipping around a corner. He grinned as he rushed into a room after her.

It was a dead end.

She stood in front of a large statue of a meditating monk. He tore across the room towards her, and she darted out of the way. He chased her in circles a few times, then gave a mighty leap, boosted by a bit of airbending.

They were tumbling across the floor in a fit of laughter.

And then they were sitting outside, watching the sunset. Or at least, Aang was watching the sunset. Toph was sitting next to him, with her head resting on his shoulder.

She was just listening to the twilight and feeling the warm summer breeze dance across her face.

"In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost…people we loved."

Aang frowned.

Every time he was feeling genuinely happy with Toph, those words came back to haunt him.

He had guessed what they might foreshadow long ago.

"Don't think about it so much."

He turned towards Toph.

"What?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know, whatever's bothering you."

Aang looked at her for a moment longer, before turning back towards the rapidly shrinking sun.

A smile slowly crossed his lips.

* * *

Aw, ain't that sweet? 

I'm thinking...reviews fuel this story...So if you want it to get any bigger, I'd suggest reviewing.


	2. Kyoshi Island

Chapter two! And it feels so good. I now have twelve chapters written for this story, but I'm not sure if I'll end up using all of them. Some of them might be fiercely edited, also.

But for now, enjoy the drabbly goodness.

* * *

"C'mon Toph!" 

Aang's voice chimed through the warm summer air. Toph rolled her eyes.

"What part of 'hell no' didn't you understand?"

"The part where you won't come out here?"

"Well I'm not coming."

"But it's _fun!_"

"That's not what Katara told me."

Aang groaned.

"She meant riding the _Unagi_ isn't fun! _These_ are just the _Elephant Koi!_"

Toph frowned.

"Still…I hate water. You know that."

"You hate _swimming_. This is _not_ swimming."

"I hate anything where I can't see."

Aang stuck his tongue out at her, but of course, she couldn't see it.

He opened his mouth to try coaxing her into the water again, but stopped as she stretched out in the golden sand, a serene smile across her face.

He decided that he could let her stay, just this once.

* * *

And now that your done...well, you know. 


	3. Stubborn

Been a while, hasn't it? Oh well...holidays and all of that...I was gone, but I have returned! With another drabble!

All for you.

* * *

She narrowed her eyes at him. 

He returned the gesture.

"Just give up already, Twinkletoes!"

He shook his head.

"No!"

She made an exasperated noise.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Why do _you _have to be so stubborn?"

"I don't have to explain myself!"

"Then why do I?"

"I was stubborn _first!_"

Aang glanced down for a moment, before resuming glaring at his wife.

"But _I _grabbed the rice ball first!"

* * *

Reviews count as Christmas presents... 


	4. Empathy

I think it's about time I darkened the mood.

Sorry people.

* * *

Her face was buried in her arms; her whole body was shaking with sobs.

She picked up light footsteps coming towards her.

"Go away, Twinkletoes."

She didn't even lift her head. She knew he could hear her muffled voice.

He sat down next to her.

She ignored him.

He put his arm around her.

She shrugged it off.

"Toph…"

His voice was gentle.

"I don't want to talk to you."

She was trying not to cry any more than she already had.

"I understand how you feel…"

She paused for a moment before raising her head slowly.

"You…understand?"

He nodded.

She looked downward.

"I should have been there…I could have…protected them…but I was so selfish…and now they're…"

She choked.

"Gone…"

Something clicked in her mind, and fresh tears began to fall.

"You do understand…don't you…?"

He sighed and pulled her close to him.

_It was almost scary, how much they understood each other right then._

* * *

Did you understand it? I'm not sure if I really got the point across...

Reviews are nice though...


	5. Cold

I like this one actually...I was afraid it might be a little too long, bit it's under 500 words, so I'll consider it a drabble. And if you don't...there will be consequences...

Also, I'd just like to say that this story isn't in chronological order. I originally wanted it to be, but I decided no. So if Toph and Aang are married with children in one chapter and just dating in the next, or if someone dies here and is still alive there...don't you worry about it.

* * *

"It's cold." 

Aang groaned.

"So I've heard."

Toph glared at him through her huge winter coat, hat, and scarf.

"You must be cold too."

Aang rolled his eyes as she pointed a mittened finger at him accusingly.

"Not really."

"Liar."

"You know I'm not."

"I can't feel any vibrations up here."

"Uh huh."

"That's why you're lying."

"Sure."

She continued to glower at him. He stared back at her blankly from his perch on Appa's head.

"I still think you're lying."

Aang turned forward with an exasperated sigh.

"Because it's freezing up here…"

"How about we try talking about something else?"

There was a long pause.

"My toes feel like they're about to fall off."

"Then put some shoes on."

"Hell no."

"Then stop complaining."

"Hell no."

Aang clenched his teeth and swallowed the angry outburst that was threatening to lash out at her.

It just wouldn't be worth it to make her angry.

"Are we there yet? I'm c-"

"I KNOW!"

Another long pause.

"You don't want to shout at me."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Yet another pause.

"Liar."

Aang's eye was twitching slightly.

The clouds around them were thinning rapidly, and Aang gasped in delight at the small town looming into sight.

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE! YIPYIP!"

Toph grabbed the side of Appa's saddle with a small gasp as he plunged downward suddenly.

They landed a little ways away from the village. All that stood between them and a nice_ warm _inn to spend the night in was a field of frosty grass.

Aang hopped off of Appa and turned back to help Toph down. She ignored him and leapt down next to him none-too-gracefully.

She instantly regretted it though.

She let out a loud yelp as her bare feet made contact with the iciness of the ground.

Aang sighed.

"Just put shoes on for a second?"

Toph was hopping quickly from one foot to the other where she stood. She acted like she hadn't heard him.

He narrowed his eyes determinedly and took a deep breath before scooping her up, marital-style.

"Hey! What do you think you're-"

"Oh just be quiet."

He kissed her swiftly on the lips and set off across the field. She stared at him indignantly for a moment before relaxing in his arms and letting him carry her.

When they got to the stone pavement of the town, he let her down and looked back.

A single set of footprints cut through the otherwise pure white ground.

It was almost poetic.

"I'm cold."

Almost.

* * *

Apparently, "mittened" isn't actually a word. Can you believe it? 

Reviews make me smile.


	6. Shattered

Sorry this took so long. I'm a lazy bum, I know.

Just been a little busy lately...

* * *

Katara moved slowly through the chilly gray air. She breathed in the scent of the flowers she held and sighed. 

Normally they would have smelled so sweet to her, but then it was just depressing.

She looked up and gazed down the many rows of tombstones.

Unfortunately, she was close to her destination.

She quickly scanned the line she stood in front of, and spotted the large gravestone she was looking for.

The Avatar's gravestone.

She noticed a large lump amidst the flowers lain across his grave.

As she came closer, she realized that it was his young widow.

Her misty blue eyes filled with tears as she continued towards her. It looked as though she had cried herself to sleep on the freshly turned earth over his grave.

Again.

It broke her heart, seeing her best friend like that.

And yet, she knew that it was nothing compared to how shattered Toph's was.

* * *

Aw...I just like to put these people in pain, don't I? 


	7. Impatience Pt1

Aha! My first two-part drabble. I'm excited.

I guess.

* * *

Aang groaned loudly, dropping his head down onto the maps and letters spread out in front of him. He was sitting at the head of one of the large stone tables of the Earth King's palace in Ba Sing Se. There was to be a meeting of many Earth Kingdom generals to discuss tactics and make plans shortly. Aang had gotten there early to try and get some extra work done. 

Toph, who was sitting directly at his right side, glanced up from picking at her nails.

"What is it now?"

Aang looked up dully. He had dark circles under his eyes from many nights of uneasy sleep, and he was looking a little pale. Toph couldn't see this, of course, but she could still sense that something was wrong.

He hadn't exactly been the man she had fallen in love with lately.

"I said, what's wrong?" she repeated firmly. He sighed wearily and shook his head.

"What am I doing wrong?" he asked, a slight tone of desperation in his voice. She looked taken aback.

"Wh…What do you mean?"

Aang waved at the papers lying before him.

"The Fire Nation still hasn't released all of it's prisoners, rogue groups are popping up everywhere and plundering villages now that the governments have lost so much power, The Earth King doesn't want to come back and take charge again, people are starving to death all over the place and no one's giving them the help they need, Zuko's in way over his head with all the problems in the Fire Nation, officials _all over the place _are corrupt and greedy, and a billion other things are wrong with the world! And on top of that, everyone expects _me _to fix it!" he explained heatedly.

Toph frowned but didn't say anything.

Aang rested his head in his hand.

"It's just…It's been five years since the war ended, and everything's _still _all screwed up. I guess…I was just hoping that we'd have made _some_ sort of progress by now…" he said in a low voice. Toph nodded sympathetically.

"We all want peace…but I suppose…we just have to be patient, and keep trying."

Aang laughed wryly. "And this is coming from _you?_"

Toph smiled slightly and nodded. She reached out a hand and gently stroked Aang's.

"Just…don't let it keep you from being who you are, okay?"

He looked at her for a moment before lifting her small hand to his lips and kissing it tenderly.

"You're wise beyond your years you know." He remarked fondly.

She grinned.

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

I didn't really know whether to call it Patience or Impatience to tell the truth...eeny-meeny-miny-mo is a lifesaver. 


	8. Impatience Pt2

I got a whopping one review for the last chapter...I was disappointed and I kept putting off updating in the hopes that maybe someone would review.

But it didn't work. So from now on I guess I'll keep updating even if I don't recieve the desired amount of feedback...

* * *

The meeting room had fallen into silence for a few minutes. Aang was busying himself with the maps and letters and plans, and Toph was staring dreamily off into space. Their hands were still lain on top of each other on the stone table.

Toph was chewing on the end of a calligraphy brush thoughtfully.

"You know what…?" she murmured suddenly, "I know how you feel."

Aang looked at her quizzically.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She nibbled at the end of the brush again.

"Anxious…unsure…impatient…self-conscious…tense…frustrated…" she trailed off, her sightless eyes still turned towards the far wall. Aang frowned. She _had _hit the mark perfectly with describing his current emotions.

"Yeah…but you just said that everyone felt that way." He said, sounding rather bemused. She made a face and ran her fingers back though her hair.

"Well…I just feel that way about…_other _things…different things than you." She turned towards him and cocked her head to the side slightly. "Make sense?"

He nodded slowly.

"Well, yeah…but what do you mean 'other things'?"

She turned away from him again.

"…Us…"

Aang stared at her.

"You mean-"

"Well, I mean, it's not that I'm not happy, it's just that we've been together for more than two years! And I've been of marrying age for a year now, so my parents will _not _leave me alone about how I 'need to find myself a good husband and settle down' and 'stop wasting my time with the Avatar'. I've been ignoring them, but, I don't know, maybe they're getting to me, but I find myself wondering more and more often…are you the one? Do I want to spend the rest of my life with you? Do _you _want to spend the rest of _your_ life with _me?_ I'm just…frustrated."

Aang blinked.

"…_Do _you think I'm the one?" he asked quietly. Toph sighed wearily.

"I do." She replied softly. Aang felt a huge grin spread across his face.

"I feel the same way."

Toph smiled right back at him, and they knew that things would work out.

* * *

And they lived happily ever after...I guess... 


	9. Boiling Point

I...don't exactly picture Aang and Toph as having a...really steady relationship. They love each other, definitely, but they don't exactly get a long all the time. Most of the time, I'd say they don't.

But still, like I said, they love each other. More than anything.

* * *

There was lots of yelling. 

Aang and Toph had something special. They knew it, and other people recognized it. But they were very different people, practically opposites, and therefore, naturally, they got into arguments. A lot. They would yell at each other until they were both to hoarse to talk, they would purposely annoy each other, and they would say incredibly hurtful things to each other.

But it was just part of who they were as a couple. Loud, obstinate, and unpredictable. It was the only way their relationship worked.

One night, as the two of them were having another shouting match with each other, standing inches apart, a certain boiling point was reached inside Aang, and he was, for once in his life, unable to control his frustration with his wife.

He barely even felt his arm moving, and didn't remember telling it to do so. He could only watch as his fist connected with the side of her head and she was sent to the floor. His world was moving in slow-motion as she fell before him, and all he could hear was her cry of surprise and the sound of his own heart pounding. His whole body felt numb suddenly, and the sight of the bruise beginning to form on the side of her teary face was something he would never be able to forget.

He had never hit her before. Not even while practicing earthbending.

He turned away and shut his burning eyes, but hadn't even taken a step away when a wall of earth rose up in front of him. He blinked at it in surprise as he felt her small fingers close tightly around his ankle. He slowly turned back to face her again.

"Wait," she whispered desperately, "please don't leave."

Aang felt his mouth fall open slightly.

"I know you want to go beat yourself up, but don't bother. We're stronger than falling apart over something like this." She said firmly.

"But-"

"No. I'll be fine._ We'll _be fine."

Aang sighed and offered a hand to help her up.

"Besides," she laughed, taking it, "You hit like a girl."

* * *

Not an abusive relationship, though...they're not _that _bad... 


	10. Jealousy

It's been a while, hasn't it?

* * *

They were lying in the grass, perfectly blissful together. Their heads were right next to each other, and their bodies pointed in opposite directions. They didn't have to hold hands, or even touch each other to display their love. Aang didn't feel the need to play with Toph's hair, and Toph didn't feel the need to hold on to Aang. Just lying there with their eyes closed was enough. They had perfect harmony with each other.

Their serenity was interrupted by the cry of a messenger hawk. Aang sat up and looked to the sky. Toph, however, did not move a muscle. Aang quickly spotted the bird, which was unquestionably seeking him. He stuck out his arm for the bird to land on and read the letter quickly. Toph knew what his reaction would be before he even let out the groan.

"Toph-" he started, but she waved a hand to stop him.

"Don't worry about it. I understand." Her voice was unreadable.

"Well, okay." He said hesitantly. He leaned down and gave her a kiss before standing up and grabbing his glider. "I don't know how long I'll be gone," he offered weakly, trying to get a reaction from her. She just grunted. He sighed.

Toph felt him take his stance, preparing to fly away. To leave the world behind and be completely unrestrained. She wanted desperately to be able to feel that. Aang had offered to take her up many times before, of course, but it wasn't the same. _She_ wasn't in control. He was. And not being in control filled her with fear. Not that she would ever admit that to him, though. A horrible jealousy bubbled up inside of her as his feet left the ground.

_How can he be so free while I am not?_

She couldn't see the deep frown across his face as he looked down at her, still lying there with her eyes shut.

Someone was always summoning him. There was always some problem that he had to fix, or some person he had to please. He had been given all the responsibility in the world when he was far too young to handle it. Sometimes, he felt like he was still too young to handle it. Not like Toph, who didn't have anyone counting on her but herself. A horrible jealousy bubbled up inside of him as he looked back at her.

_How can she be so free while I am not?_

He didn't notice the single tear that rolled down her cheek as she imagined what it would be like to really fly.

* * *

Ah, they're both so jealous of the freedom that they think the other one possesses. That's deep.


	11. Beautiful

I don't even have an excuse for waiting so long to update.

Actually, I do. A little thing called Avatar Withdrawal Syndrome...

* * *

Beautiful.

The word meant nothing to Toph. People used it far too much, in her opinion. They would use it to describe just about anything.

People told Toph that she was beautiful, but they knew nothing about her. They told her that her hair, and her eyes, and her dresses, and her jewelry were all beautiful. Toph found her hair annoying, he eyes useless, and her dresses and jewelry uncomfortable.

And yet when Aang told her these things, it brought a smile to her face.

People said the stars were beautiful, but Toph didn't even know what stars were. They said the sun, and the moon, and the clouds, and the sky were all beautiful. Those things were completely invisible and unimaginable for Toph.

And yet Aang always took the time describe them to her, comparing colors with things she could feel, smell, taste, and touch, and Toph almost felt like she could see.

People told Toph and Aang that they looked beautiful together, but they were just two people. Toph didn't understand how any two human beings could look any different standing next to each other than a different pair of people.

And yet, when she was alone with him, she knew that the way their hearts beat as one was a beautiful thing.

Beautiful.

The word itself may have meant nothing to Toph, but when _his_ voice said it, it meant the world to her.

* * *

And...now I have to write something...I feel like I've wasted a lot of precious fanfiction writing time, and the season finale will soon shatter all of my beautiful dreams of beautiful Taang...


	12. Instincts

And so...Avatar is over. Or is it?

I thought the end of the series and the Kataang that I knew was coming would surely break my spirit as a Taanger. But for some unexplainable reason, it did the opposite. I have the urge to ship like I've never shipped before. Enjoy.

* * *

"We…are lost…"

Aang turned towards Toph. Her shoulders were slumped, her head was bowed, and she was dragging both her feet and her bag through the dirt.

"No we're not…" he mumbled, looking around them. "We're just…" he trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Lost." She concluded. He frowned.

"Fine. We're lost. But it's not so hard to get…unlost…"

She rolled her eyes.

"For all we know, we aren't even in the Earth Kingdom anymore. We could be…miles away from all civilization, and-"

"You know," Aang interjected, "If you'd just let me fly you, we could-"

"No." Toph replied firmly. "No flying."

"But you fly on Appa!" Aang protested.

"That's different." She snapped. "I have something to hold onto, and it's big, and…not…flimsy and…decrepit…"

Aang sighed. "You're going to have to trust me eventually."

Toph smiled slightly. "I do trust you, when you're standing on the ground."

Aang stopped suddenly.

"What?" Toph asked.

They had reached a fork in the road.

Aang looked suspiciously from one path to the other.

"Feel anything?" he asked.

"Yeah…dirt and trees." She replied dryly.

Aang sighed. He began muttering under his breath and moving his finger from one path to the other quickly. As he continued, however, he slowed down his pointing and raised his voice to a normal tone.

"_And you are_ _**it**__._"

He pointed down the path to their left. Toph stared. He looped his arm through hers and beamed.

"Left we go!" he announced, starting down the path. But Toph held him back.

"How could you possibly know from _that?_" she asked dubiously. He shrugged.

"Instincts."

"Instincts." She repeated. He nodded. She groaned.

"You are so…" she put a hand to her forehead and shook her head. "You're impossible."

He smiled. "Trust me."

Toph opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it. Aang grinned.

"Fine," she said, waving a hand through the air, "Follow your _instincts._"

"I always do." He whispered, before leaning in and giving her a quick kiss. He threw an arm around her waist and whipped out his glider, and before she could protest, he had launched himself into the sky.

She screamed and twisted toward him holding on with a death grip.

He just kissed the top of her head and laughed.

* * *

I really don't know why I didn't post this earlier, because I wrote it quite a while ago. And I actually do like it.


	13. Restless

Ah-ha! I updated once, and didn't disappear for a month or two immidiately after!

* * *

Toph turned over in her bed for the millionth time. Next to her, Aang's eye had begun to twitch.

"Considering going to sleep any time soon?" he whispered.

She rolled over again so that her back was turned towards him, and murmured, "Night…"

"Goodnight." He replied, a bit less gently. He allowed his heavy eyelids to fall shut

A few seconds later, he felt her spin towards him again.

"Twinkletoes?" she whispered. He pretended not to hear her.

"_Twinkletoes?_" she whispered again, this time more forcefully.

He wondered how much longer he'd be able to get away with ignoring her.

A hard punch on the arm told him his time was already up.

He groaned and rolled over to face her. As he opened his eyes, he was startled to find her face about an inch away from his. He gasped and jerked back a little, then glared at her.

"_What?_" he hissed.

"Are you happy?" she asked timidly.

He blinked.

"What?"

"I said _are you happy?_"

"About what?"

"You know…life. With me…"

He stared at her for a moment, glanced at the clock, and then looked back.

"Why are you asking me this at one in the morning after two years of happy marriage?"

She rolled over to face the ceiling.

"…I wanted to be sure…"

"Sure about what?"

She turned away from him and muttered something indistinguishable.

"What?"

She turned back towards him.

"So you are happy?"

Aang wasn't sure what to say.

"What's wrong with you?"

She turned over restlessly a few times before facing him again. She reached out a hand and felt his face for a moment.

Then she leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

"I'm pregnant."

He felt his mouth drop open as she rolled over again.

"Goodnight, Aang."

* * *

Wonder who's going to be having trouble sleeping _now_...


End file.
